The Perfume Bee

Please join me as I continue my Q and A with Alexandra Balahoutis, founder of Strange Invisible Perfumes. To read Part I of this interview, please click here.

Bee: What advice do you have for natural perfumers just starting out?

Alexandra: Don’t do it! Just kidding. Beware of bad information. Beware of dishonest vendors or those who do not know what they are selling. Find a way to achieve the note that you want to include.

Don’t listen when people tell you that a natural perfume can never perform as well as one that contains synthetics. Chances are, they are selling synthetics or products that contain them. Remember that synthetics are less expensive and easier to work with. That is why many companies use them.

If you like synthetics, use them but don’t lie about it. Don’t believe the hype about what makes a “nose.” Do not pursue some fancy, esoteric identity. Just make beautiful compositions. Affectation spoils it.

Bee: What have you found most surprising about being a perfumer and/or boutique-owner?

Alexandra: How bad I am with remembering names.

Bee: Your current collection currently has over twenty perfumes. Do you have a personal favorite?

Alexandra: It changes hourly. They are like children. I have no favorites but I am more compatible with some than with others.

Bee: You have a fascinating way of developing custom perfumes. Could you please share what that involves?

Alexandra: I must become well acquainted with a person and ask them all kinds of questions. When we are finished with our conversation, I know everything about their sensory preferences and the concepts and places that excite them. I view each subject as a figure with a philosophy to impart as well as tastes to reveal. I learn a lot listening to people speak about their ideals and what delights their senses.

Bee: What is new and up-and-coming at Strange Invisible Perfumes?

Alexandra: Quite a bit. Eau de parfum, highly addictive body products of unbelievable purity, and the usual new releases. The first is a wild composition inspired by the tropics. All I can say is it’s so enticing and nectar-like that it takes considerable restraint not to drink it.

Bee: In addition to your LA Boutique and your on-line store, where else are your perfumes currently available?

Alexandra: Select Barneys New York locations, Turpan (Los Angeles) and Quartier 206 in Berlin.

Bee: As a company, can you tell us what steps you are taking towards being “green?”

Alexandra: My staff cares deeply about the environment. Like me, they are personally and professionally committed to being green. We make sure that our modus operandi honors this commitment: we use biodegradable peanuts instead of Styrofoam to ship our packages, recycle and reuse as much as possible, and insist on earth-friendly cleaners for our office, lab and boutique. We found these great biodegradable corn plastic cups and utensils, and always use them when hosting events at our boutique. We also cater our events with delicacies and organic produce from local suppliers.

Obviously, the biggest step is making sure that we put out a green product – one that is completely natural, strictly botanical and free from synthetic chemicals that are often toxic and non-biodegradable. I use 100% organic grape alcohol as a base in my perfumes and work with distillers who supply organic, wildcrafted or biodynamically grown ingredients.

I also felt it was essential to go the green route with product packaging for our new lines launching in the Fall. Being a botanical perfumery, deep appreciation and respect for nature is at the crux of our identity and we’re always looking for more ways to enact this devotion.

Bee: Do you have any closing thoughts?

Alexandra: It is so lovely that people are truly beginning to understand that there can be no exceptional products without exceptional ingredients.

Bee: Thank you, Alexandra! We wish you and everyone at Strange Invisible Perfumes all the best!

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